


A Thief and a Dancer Part 4

by Astro986



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Persona 5 Spoilers, mild references to alcohol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:01:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21529483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astro986/pseuds/Astro986
Summary: This is my interpretation of what happened during and after the final boss of Persona 5 Royal. Be warned as there are massive spoilers.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Kasumi, Persona 5 Protagonist/Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 20
Kudos: 44





	A Thief and a Dancer Part 4

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay. Work was a bit hectic. I can’t tell you how excited I am to post this. I think I really outdid myself this time. As usual, I own none of the characters or Persona 5 Royal. The dialogue and the events that transpire are mine. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and enjoy!

2/3 - Monday - Evening

The battle with Takuto was the hardest fight the Phantom Thieves had ever fought. From using his Persona’s powers to literally merging with it to create an ever scarier beast was challenging, to say the least. But in the end, the Thieves pulled through and finally defeated Takuto. 

However, he wasn’t finished even after his behemoth of a Persona was destroyed. If he was going down, it wasn’t without a fight. Before the gang could escape, Takuto summoned one of his Persona’s tentacles to catch the MonaCopter. Ren wasn’t having any of that. He took one last look at his fellow Thieves. Ren looked to Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, Akechi and Sumire. The exact order of when they joined.

Seeing them all panicked, especially Sumire, was enough for him to let go of his grappling hook that was latched on to the MonaCopter and meet Takuto one-on-one. 

"Ren!!!" The Thieves screamed in unison as they watched their leader fall.

"Turn around Morgana! We need to go back! I'm not leaving my boyfriend here!" Sumire shouted with panic.

"I can't! I don't know how!"

"Well figure it out! I also refuse to leave him here! He and I still have a score to settle and I'll be damned if I let that bastard kill him!" Akechi retorted.

Despite the animosity that Akechi had for Ren, he still saw him as a rival and friend. In fact, to Akechi, the Phantom Thieves are the closest thing he's ever had to a real family.

Once he landed on the ground, Ren watched as the others flew out of sight. As he made sure he couldn't see the MonaCopter anymore, he turned around to look at his school therapist. As he and Takuto looked at each other dead in the eye, Ren’s mask faded away, which means he couldn’t use his Personas. Not that he needed to. 

"Joker...Ren..." Takuto snarled.

Ren just stared at him with a blank glare. 

"Takuto..." Ren said.

"After all I've done...all that I've went through...the things I did for you and your friends....this isn't over Ren...I'M NOT LETTING IT END THIS WAY!!!" 

Ren just stared at him before letting out a good laugh.

"What are you laughing at!?" Takuto said with rage.

"You. Who knew someone that was trained to help people with their problems by offering non-violent solutions...is resorting to violence and anger." Ren said with a smug grin.

"What's your point!?" 

"My point is that you've become exactly what you tried to get rid of. A person full of rage and negativity. Ironic, isn't it?" Ren said.

From that statement, Takuto was seething with rage at this point.

"You think you have the right to judge me Ren!?"

Although Ren himself was starting to get angry, he kept his composure and took an assertive stance. 

"When someone tries to take away people's autonomy and force them to live in a "perfect" world, I think everyone has the right judge you." 

"If you were in my shoes, would you not do the same? You wouldn't want to end everyone's suffering?!" Takuto shouted.

"Bold of you to assume that I don't want to end people's misery. It's why I became a Phantom Thief."

"Exactly! Even you've forced people to do something for the better of everyone, so why are you fighting me instead of helping me?! We share the same goal Ren!"

"We may share the goal, but our way of accomplishing it is vastly different." Ren said.

"And how is that?" Takuto asked sarcastically. 

"Well, taking away people's autonomy is a start. Taking away their grief, their sorrow, their pain...you're essentially robbing them of their growth!" Ren said with an angered tone.

"Oh? And forcing people to have a "change of heart" isn't robbing people of their autonomy?" Takuto countered.

Ren could only laugh at the absurdity of that statement, which caused Takuto to growl at him in return.

"You know, for someone who was professionally trained to understand people and extensively researched cognitive science...you're not very bright. Honestly, it's a wonder how you ever became a therapist." Ren said with a snarky, but serious tone.

"What!?" Takuto said in disbelief. 

"Having someone go through a change of heart has nothing to do with control. We never forced people to confess their sins. They confessed because they couldn't bare the guilt of their actions. We may have had a hand in it, but in the grand scheme of things, they did it out of their own free will. Not that you would understand, "counselor". Ren said with a serious glare.

With that remark, Takuto has no more patience with Ren. He made a mad dash toward Ren in an effort to punch him. And to his surprise, he actually landed a hit. 

As the punch made contact with his face, Ren's head was turned as a result. The punch may have hurt, but Ren didn't make a sound. 

Instead, he opened his eyes with his head still turned and looked at Takuto from the side. Takuto took a step back in fear as Ren slowly turned his head toward him again. He had the deadliest glare on his face. In fact, Takuto could have sworn he saw blue fire in Ren's eyes. 

But before he could know for sure, he felt Ren's fist collide with his nose. The punch had so much force in it that Takuto was sent flying back into the crystal wall and fell to the ground.

As Takuto picked himself up, he clutched his broken, bloodied nose in pain. Takuto recovered after spending a few seconds processing what just happened. He looked back up at Ren with nothing but malice. 

Whatever mercy he had reserved for the leader of the Phantom Thieves was gone. With anger-induced shaky breathing, he walked towards Ren, who did the same. 

The two slowly made their way towards each other with nothing but cold glares. Ren and Takuto were eventually in arms length. When they were close enough to each other, they stopped walking and just glared at each other. 

After a solid minute of glaring at each other, both Ren and Takuto reared their fists back until both of them hit each other in the face causing both of them to stagger back.

Ren was the first to recover and swung at Takuto’s face again. Takuto then countered with his own punch. The two continued to just punch each other in the face until one of them could no longer stand. Eventually, Takuto couldn’t take the heat anymore and collapsed. He had seriously underestimated Ren’s stamina.

“So...after everything I’ve done...this is how it ends.” Takuto said in a somber tone.

“I’m afraid so.” Ren retorted.

“Heh...you were right Ren...”

Ren raised his eyebrow in confusion.

“Right about what?”

“Me. I’m a complete joke...even with this power, I still couldn’t make a difference...”

Ren remained silent and let him continue talking.

“I failed as a therapist. I failed as a boyfriend. And worst of all...I failed as a person.” Takuto said as he sounded like he was about to burst into tears.

“Takuto...” Ren said empathetically.

Tears began to stream down the ex-school therapist’s face. The crystal surface beneath him began to crack as his Palace started to fall apart.

“Rumi...Sumire...Ren...please forgive me.” Takuto said in between light sobs.

After he said that, the surface underneath Takuto shattered and he started to fall until he felt something grab his arm. It was Ren. Takuto couldn’t believe it. The person who was the biggest road block in his grand plan was saving him.

“Ren...why?” He asked as he looked up at Ren in shock.

“Because despite everything...you’re not a bad person Takuto.” Ren said as he struggled to pull him up.

“Wh-what?” 

“Your intentions were and still are good. They’re not selfish. I know you genuinely want people to be nothing but happy. Like you said, we share this same dream. But you were going about it the wrong way. You let your desire get to your head and you ended up straying from your path because of it. But, unlike the others we’ve faced, you can start over again with a clean slate. Ren said with a hoarse voice.

These words really touched Takuto. He knew Ren was right. His intentions were pure, but his way was not the answer and Takuto understands that now.

“Ren...I-whoa!” Takuto said as he felt himself fall a little bit. 

Ren’s arm was getting tired and he couldn’t hold on much longer. 

“Let go Ren. You need to get back to the real world and forget about me.” Takuto said.

“No...! We’re going back...together!” Ren said as he found the strength to pull Takuto back up.

After pulling Takuto back to safety, Ren couldn’t stop the exhaustion from setting in and lay down on the ground. He felt his vision starting to blur as he turned to Takuto who was already passed out. 

The blurring got worse as the seconds passed but Ren could see that the Palace was starting to fade away. Ren then heard something to his right; it was the MonaCopter! The last thing Ren saw before losing consciousness was the MonaCopter approaching and the sound of the Thieves shouting his name.

——————  
2/4- Tuesday - Morning

Ren slowly started to wake up. Unfortunately, he had an unbearable headache as he woke up. Once Ren’s senses started coming around, he could make out the familiar aroma of coffee and curry. Ren wiped his eyes to clear his vision and saw the roof of his attic. Dread and concern started to take over him as he feared that everything that happened was just a dream.

He shot up in a panic and looked around for Morgana.

“Morgana?” He called.

No response.

“Morgana!!” Ren shouted.

There was still no response, but Ren heard footsteps running up the stairs. It was Sojiro. 

“Ren! Are you alright? Why are you screaming?” Sojiro asked with concern.

Ren was really glad to see Sojiro. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary with him, but where’s Morgana?

“Sojiro...I’m fine, but where’s Morgana?” Ren asked.

“Beats me. I thought he was up here with you.” Sojiro said as he scratched the back of his head.

Ren was now scared out of his mind. Morgana was nowhere to be found. Was everything that happened just a dream? Did Ren and the others fail to stop Takuto? Ren started to hyperventilate, which alarmed Sojiro.

“Whoa, calm down Ren. What’s wrong?” He asked as he knelt down beside Ren with his hand on his shoulder.

“I...I...no...we..there’s no way...how is this...” Ren started mumbling, but Sojiro could understand him.

“Ren calm down. Everything is alright.” He said as he gently patted Ren’s back.

Ren then turned to look at him. Sojiro could see that tears were forming in his eyes, which shocked him.

“Everything...is fine? You mean...the others are alright?” Ren asked with a shaky voice.

Sojiro smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, they’re fine. Your friends brought you back here while you were passed out.” He said.

“Passed...out? Then...everything that happened with Takuto...”

“Was real. You kids beat him and reverted everything back to how it was.” Sojiro said with a proud smile.

It took a few seconds to process what Sojiro just told him. Ren then started crying prompting Sojiro to hug him like a parent would.

“It’s alright kid. You’ve been through a lot these past few weeks, so just take it easy, ok?” Sojiro said as he rubbed Ren’s back to soothe him.

Ren’s sobbing was light, but the room quiet enough so others could hear him. Then, a voice came from behind them.

“What’s going on?” A high-pitched voice asked.

Ren and Sojiro looked to see who said that. It was Morgana, who was sitting where Ren normally keeps his bag.

“Morgana...” Ren said in disbelief with watery eyes.

Without warning, Ren shot up from the bed and dashed to where Morgana was. He picked his feline friend up and hugged him.

“Wha-hey! What are you doing Ren?” Morgana asked in shock.

Before anyone could answer, Morgana started getting anxious. Was he about to get button mashed again? To his surprise, he wasn’t. Instead, Morgana heard sniffling and what felt like rain drops fall on his head. He lifted his head to see an emotional Ren sobbing.

“Whoa...are you okay? Did something happen?” Morgana asked.

Ren didn’t answer and hugged Morgana tighter. That’s when Sojiro spoke up.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine. He just thought that everything you guys went through last night wasn’t real and started panicking. But I told him that you guys brought him in last night.” Sojiro said as he stood up and adjusted his glasses.

Morgana blinked in surprise. It wasn’t like Ren to think something like that. Looks like all the stress and emotions he held inside were coming out. Morgana then nuzzled Ren’s chest time make him feel better.

“Aww, it’s alright Ren. We did beat Takuto...well...more like you beat him because when I landed to pick you two up, we saw that his face was bruised and bloody. Not that he didn’t deserve it...heheh.” Morgana said with his usual snarky laugh.

Ren then laughed himself at his friend’s comment. He then held out Morgana like a child and looked him in the eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re okay Morgana!” Ren said with a gleeful smile.

“Likewise. You had us worried when we found you passed out. Heck, even Akechi was concerned about you when you decided to leap off.” Morgana said.

“Sorry about that...” Ren said.

“Don’t be. We know how hard this was on you. And don’t even get me on Sumire...” Morgana said bluntly.

Ren’s eyes widened when he heard her name. He was concerned for her because, like the other Thieves, she fought really hard.

“Sumire! Is she okay?” Ren asked with a panicked voice.

“Yeah, she’s fine. She was the first one on the ground when we found you. And by that, I mean she literally jumped from the MonaCopter to make sure you were okay. But before that, she was hysterical and started yelling at me...” Morgana said as he quivered from the sound of Sumire’s screaming.

Sojiro saw a golden opportunity and just like Ren would do, he would seize it. 

“Well, well Ren. Looks like you better start planning your apology now.” Sojiro said with a laugh.

Ren dropped Morgana and turned to him surprise.

“Apology?! For what?!” Ren asked loudly.

Sojiro shook his head in mock disappointment.

“Haven’t I taught you anything? You never make a lady worry or cry, especially when you were intimate with her the night before.” He said with a playful look on his face.

Ren’s face erupted into an extreme blush when Sojiro said that. He’ll never catch a break for that one...

“Yeah Ren. How dare you do that to poor Sumire. Looks like it’ll be a while before you two ha-OUCH!

Morgana was cut off as Ren slapped him with a pillow.

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence...” Ren said through gritted teeth.

Sojiro laughed and patted Ren’s back. 

“Welcome to the world of relationships kid.” He said as he made it halfway down the stairs.

Ren simply groaned in embarrassment.

“Come on you two.” Sojiro called.

“Huh?” Ren and Morgana said in unison.

“I need you two to prepare the coffee while I get the curry ready. It’s almost time to open and I don’t pay you two to do nothing.” Sojiro said.

“You don’t pay us at all...” Ren and Morgana said as they sweat dropped.

“Nor will I ever. Now come on.” 

“Yes Boss...”

————————  
2/4 - Tuesday - Afternoon

To Ren, Morgana and Sojiro’s surprise, LeBlanc was busier than ever today. Customers were coming in and out. Of course, there were some of Sojiro’s regulars like the old couple who, once again, spent five hours for a single cup of coffee. But other than that, business was booming today. 

Sojiro decided to add another sign that said "Closed For Lunch Break". They needed it after the abundance of orders they had received earlier. Even Morgana, who really couldn't do much except hand Ren the coffee beans needed a break. 

"Phew...I don't think we've ever had that many customers before." Sojiro said as he cleaned his glasses with his apron.

"I may not always be down here, but man, that was hectic..." Morgana said as he stretched.

"Wasn't expecting to go back and forth like that, but it's still nothing compared to what we had to go through the past week." Ren said as he took a seat on one of the stools.

There was a brief silence as the three in LeBlanc just looked a each other. It was almost like they were expecting one of them to offer something to do. That's when Sojiro decided to speak up.

"What do you guys say to some lunch that's not curry? Consider it my treat for working so hard today." Sojiro asked with his usual smug smile.

Ren and Morgana both quickly looked to Sojiro with mischevious smiles and wide, hungry eyes.

"Yes sir!" They said in unison.

Sojiro chuckled at Ren and Morgana's child-like behavior. No matter how tired they may be, the mere mention of food is enough to get their energy levels to sky rocket.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Sojiro said as he headed toward the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Morgana asked in confusion.

"To get my wallet."

Once Sojiro left, Morgana went from the bar to one of the booth's tables. He then noticed that Ren was on his phone again.

"Not again..." He said with a groan.

Ren turned to him in confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"Please tell me you're not texting Sumire right now. I can't handle another button mash..." Morgana said as he lied down in mock defeat. 

Ren laughed at his friend's agony. Although he enjoyed getting revenge on Morgana for constantly being nuisance to his relationship with Sumire, he did feel a little guilty for making him miserable. But hey, that's what brothers do.

"I'd like to say that you've learned your lesson, but that's probably too much to hope for." Ren said with a sarcastic tone.

"No no no, believe me. Whenever you bring up spending time with Sumire, I'm going to the farthest part of town until you're done." Morgana said as he sat back up.

"Isn't there a well-known cat shelter in the farthest part of town?" 

"Enough with the cat jokes!" Morgana said with a hiss.

"Can't. Cat's got my tongue." Ren said as he tried not to laugh.

"Ren...!" Morgana growled as he looked like he was about to pounce.

"What's wrong? Need to use a scratching post?" 

That was the last straw. Morgana pounced at Ren, who jumped from his seat to avoid the attack, but Morgana was determined to get his vengeance. He will end the era of cat jokes if it's the last thing he does. Morgana kept jumping at Ren, but he just couldn't quite land a paw on him.

"Whoa, careful now, you'll hurt yourself!" Ren said as he ducked another one of Morgana's attack.

"Your mockery is at an end Ren!" Morgana shouted.

"Hey, that kind of rhymed!" Ren said with a laugh. 

"REN!" 

Ladies and gentlemen, the leader of the Phantom Thieves and his second-in-command. After a few minutes of Morgana trying to attack Ren, he managed to corner him in the front of the store. Was this it? Is Morgana finally going to silence Ren's sense of humor once and for all?

"I've got you now!" Morgana said as he pounced at Ren with all his might.

Ren flashed his Joker smile yet again, which means Morgana was about to regret everything...again. Ren crouched to avoid Morgana's pounce, but instead of landing on another surface, Morgana ended up going through the window. Ren immediately stood back up to see if he was okay. Thankfully, Morgana didn't have a scratch on him, but he was face-first on the ground with glass surrounding him. Once Ren had processed what happened, he burst out laughing. 

"Ok...I should have seen that coming..." Morgana said as he jumped back in through the hole he created. 

Ren was trying to catch his breath, but he still couldn't contain his laughter. Morgana just watched with an unamused expression as his best friend laughed at him. However, Ren's laughter came to a halt when he and Morgana were startled by the door to LeBlanc swinging open with force. It was Sojiro, and hoo boy, was he steamed.

"What the hell are you two doing in here?!" Sojiro asked.

Ren and Morgana looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Uhh...stuff?" They said.

"Uh-huh. Well, your "stuff" broke my window. Do you have any idea how much this going to cost to repair?!"

"No, but we will when we call the repair guy." Ren said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Oh no. There's no "we" in this. You're paying for this yourself." Sojiro said with a glare.

"Don't worry, I will. Sorry Sojiro..." Ren said with an apologetic bow. 

"Yeah, sorry Sojiro..." Morgana said as he lowered his head.

Sojiro pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an exaggerated groan.

"Ugh...fine, I forgive you two, but don't do it again. Now, find something to cover the window so we can go."

"On it!" Ren and Morgana said in unison as they ran up to the attic.

"Damn kids in here wrecking my cafe..." Sojiro said as he got a broom to clean up the glass outside.

While Sojiro cleaned up the glass outside, Ren and Morgana rummaged through the attic to find a cover for the window they broke. 

"Hey Ren! This ply wood may do the trick!" Morgana said as he struggled to pull it from underneath the bookshelf.

"It might. Here, I'll get it." 

As Ren bent down to get the wood, his phone started ringing. Before answering it, he pulled the wood out from under the shelf. 

"Who is it?" Morgana asked as he leapt on to Ren's shoulder.

Ren reached into his back pocket to see that Sumire was calling him. Morgana prepared to jump off of Ren before he answered.

"It's fine Morgana, I'm not gonna do anything to you." Ren said with a smile.

"Ok good." He said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

With that, Ren picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ren!" Sumire practically screamed into the phone causing Morgana to fall of Ren's shoulder. 

"Hey Sumi." 

"Are you okay? I wanted to call sooner but I had practice and when I went to call you afterwards, my phone was dead."

"It's alright. And yeah, I'm okay. How about you? Morgana said you were really upset last night." 

"I was scared out of my mind last night...and finding you unconscious next to that lunatic added to it. I can't tell you how relieved I felt when I saw that you were still breathing."

"Sorry Sumire, I didn't mean to worry you.”

“Please promise me you won’t do anything like that again.” She said with a sweet tone.

“I won't. Actually, I can't because the Metaverse app is gone, so you don't have to worry anymore." 

Sumire giggled at that.

"That's true. We can finally live as normal people for once and not have to worry about saving the world."

"Right."

"So...um..." Sumire trailed off.

"What is it Sumi?"

"N-nothing really...I wanted to know if you were free right now." 

"Umm...well, yes and no..?" Ren said awkwardly.

"What do you mean by "yes and no"?"

"Well, Morgana and I kind of broke the window in LeBlanc..."

Although she put a hand to her mouth and moved her phone away from her mouth a bit, Ren could hear her snicker.

"And how did you two manage that?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Cat jokes."

"You broke the window by telling cat jokes? You're losing your edge, my dear Ren." Now Sumire sounded puzzled.

Morgana burst out laughing at how Sumire just roasted Ren.

"Wait, what!? No! I didn't tell the jokes to the window!" 

Now Sumire started laughing at him.

At that point, Sojiro had come up wondering why Ren and his window-breaking cat weren't covering the window.

"What in the world are two doing up here?" He asked sternly.

"He's on the phone with Sumire." Morgana said. 

"Oh. Well, Romeo, tell Juliet that you'll call her back later. You've got a window to cover and then we're going to lunch." Sojiro said as he put his hand to his chin.

"Ok, "dad"!" Ren said with sarcasm.

"Well, get on with it "son"." Sojiro countered with his own sarcasm.

Sumire and Morgana were both getting a kick out of Ren and Sojiro's litlle exchange as both of them were struggling to keep their laughter in check.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later sweetheart. I love you!" Sumire said as she cooed. 

"Uh...heh. Love you too. Bye. Ren said with an awkward blush.

"Bye!"

The call disconnected and Ren put his phone back into his pocket. He kept his head turned away from Sojiro and Morgana because he didn't want them to see his blush. 

"If you're done examining the floor, can we go already?" Morgana asked with a whine.

Sojiro nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we've wasted enough time already. Go put those wooden boards on the window and let's hit the road." Sojiro said as he walked back down stairs.

After Ren put the boards on the windows, he, Morgana and Sojiro decided to use the metro instead of Sojiro's car. As usual, it was packed with people, even though it wasn't rush hour. While waiting to reach their destination, Ren was hit with a little bit of nostalgia as he thought back to his date with Sumire. Although it was only two days ago, the time he spent with her that day was the best he has ever spent with someone.

Unfortunately, Ren didn’t have time to think about all the details as he was brought out of his thoughts by the voice of the conductor.

“Attention passengers, we have reached Kichijoji. I repeat, we have reached Kichijoji.”

“About time...” Sojiro muttered.

Ren snickered at his comment because Sojiro usually takes his car. And after spending almost an entire year on the metro, he understood why. Being crammed into a small space is enough drive anyone crazy.

The doors to the metro opened and luckily, the trio didn’t have to push their way through this time. 

“This is why I hate the metro. Too many people in one space and they aren’t even civilized about it, they just bulldoze their way through like animals. I have no idea how you tolerate it Ren.” Sojiro said with an aggravated tone as he adjusted his hat.

“You get used to it, but don't worry, I feel the same way. Sometimes I can't stand the metro either." He said as he adjusted his bag.

Morgana then popped his head out of the bag to catch his breath.

"You two think you hate the metro? Try being crushed in a hot bag with almost no way to breathe." He said with an annoyed tone.

The streets of Kichijoji were crowded as usual, much to Sojiro's chagrin. Ren and Morgana were used to it, but it would be nice if they could roam the streets without having to squeeze through hordes of people. As Sojiro and Morgana debated on where they should eat, Ren was looking for a certain place. He just hoped he was able to spot it. Luckily, he did and it wasn't swarmed with people this time. Ren had finally spotted the bakery that Sumire had told him about. 

"Wanna eat here?" Ren asked.

Sojiro and Morgana stopped to look at the place. 

"What, this little bakery?" Sojiro asked he continued to examine the place.

The bakery that Sumire had told him about looked pretty ordinary. The glass windows gave them a sneak peek of the interior. Above the display of various baked goods, the bakery itself was basic in terms of design. 

It was fairly large in size. There were a handful of black and white checkered tables lined up against a wall with a mirror that reflected the entire bakery. In the front of the store, there was your everyday cash register resting on a marble countertop. To the right of the register was another display that harbored sweets. Both Ren and Morgana knew Ann would have a field day here. 

"Eh, it looks okay to me." Morgana said plainly.

"You sure you two want to go here?" Sojiro asked.

"Do you want to eat here?" Ren asked in response.

Sojiro hummed in contemplation for a few seconds before he answered Ren.

"Well, it does look like it has a nice, calming atmosphere. In fact, it kind of reminds of my cafe." Sojiro said with a smile.

"Minus the broken window." Ren said sarcastically.

"You mean the window that you broke?" Sojiro retorted.

"Technically, I didn't break anything. Morgana did." Ren said as he adjusted his glasses.

Morgana responded to that by slapping Ren's head with his paw.

"Only because you wouldn't stop with those annoying cat jokes!" He shouted.

"Will you two knock it off? It doesn't matter who broke it because you're both fixing it." Sojiro said bluntly.

"Yeah yeah..." Ren and Morgana said in unison.

After that little exchange, they finally entered the bakery. When they walked up to see the menu, Ren, Sojiro and Morgana fully understood the phrase "First impressions can be wrong". The menu that this bakery has is insane. The platters that Sumire told Ren about are there, but that's not all they had. This place has everything ranging from ramen, bento boxes, gyoza, giant onigiri and even steak. 

"This is the menu?! Is this a bakery or a five star restaurant?" Sojiro asked in disbelief.

"Wow...Sumire wasn't joking when she said that this place had everything..." Ren said as he stared at the menu with wide eyes.

"Well, that explains it..." Morgana said suddenly.

"Explains what?" Ren asked as he turned to look at him.

"Why you wanted to come here. You knew Sumire comes here all the time and were hoping to run into her, weren't you?" Sojiro interjected.

"W-what? No! I mean, yeah I know she comes here a lot, but I wasn't trying to run into her." Ren said with a blush and panicked voice.

"Uh-huh." Sojiro and Morgana said in unison with playful looks on their faces.

All Ren could do was groan in response to their teasing looks. Ever since he and Sumire got together, both of them have been teased about their relationship. If Ren wasn't being bombarded with inappropriate questions by Ryuji, Yusuke asked if he could paint a nude portrait of them, something that even Morgana scolded him for. 

As for Sumire, she didn't have it as bad as Ren. The worst she's had to deal with in terms of teasing was Ann making kissy faces at her whenever Ren was brought up.

"Can we just order already...?" Ren asked with an uncomfortable look.

"Relax, Romeo, no need to get all flustered because you want to be with your girlfriend.”

“And will you stop calling me Romeo!?” Ren said with a whine.

“Excuse me, Romeo? You’re holding up the line?” The cashier said with a polite tone in her voice.

Ren’s jaw dropped as the cashier said that. Sojiro laughed and patted Ren’s back while Morgana buried himself in the bag to stifle his laughter. 

“Unbelievable...” Ren muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

Ren made his order and quickly walked to one of the tables in the back, but not before handing Sojiro his bag so he wouldn’t have to deal with Morgana. He just wanted to have some peace and quiet.

As Ren waited for Sojiro and Morgana to arrive with the food, he decided to kill the time by going on his phone. When he turned it on, he was about to turn on the mobile game that Ryuji recommended to him when he got a message from Sumire. What it said made Ren’s heart stop for a second.

The message read “Fancy meeting you here “Romeo”.” Ren just stared at the message in disbelief. So much so, he didn’t even reply asking where she was. Instead, Sumire did it for him.

“Look behind you, sweetie.” She messaged.

When he saw that message, Ren heard familiar giggling coming from a few inches behind him. He turned around to see Sumire playfully waving at him as she struggled to contain her laughter. As if things couldn’t get any more awkward. Ren quickly looked back to where Sojiro and Morgana were and then back to her. 

“How did you get here? I never saw you come in.” He said.

“I’ve been here the whole time.” Sumire said with a giggle.

Ren blinked a few times before face palming. He was literally just talking about how Sumire comes to the bakery a lot and somehow it didn’t occur to him that she was already here.

“And I’m assuming you saw what happened up there...” Ren said with his hand covering his face.

“I did and it was great!” Sumire said in her usual cheery voice.

Poor Ren. Now he knows how it feels to be Morgana; he can never catch a break.

Ren let out an exasperated sigh. Before he could say anything else to Sumire, he heard another voice. A voice only he could hear.

“Tsk tsk. And you call yourself a gentleman? It’s a wonder how you have managed to capture the heart of such a beautiful rose. The voice said playfully.

“That voice...Raoul?!” Ren asked in surprise.

“Yes, tis’ I, young trickster. It’s been a little while since we last spoke.”

“I thought you disappeared after that whole fiasco with Takuto and when the Metaverse app disappeared.” Ren said with a hint of confusion in his voice.

“Clearly, you still have much to learn. I will never disappear, dear boy. I am thou, thou art I."

"Well, that's really good to know. But, I'm assuming you're talking to me because of something important."

"Indeed I am. But you and your lady need to be alone before I say anything else. Until then..."Romeo". Raoul said in a joking manner.

"What the-!?" 

That was all Ren could respond with before he heard Raoul's laughter fade out. Now even his Persona is getting in on making Ren annoyed. 

"Ren?" Sumire called.

"Huh?" He said in surprise.

"Are you alright? You went really quiet all of a sudden." She said with concern.

"Oh, no, I'm fine. I was talking with Raoul." 

"Raoul? You were talking to your Persona?"

Ren replied with a nod and an "Mm-hmm".

"Wow...that actually makes two of us..."

Ren gave her a surprised look, but before he could say anything else, someone else decided to interrupt them. 

"Well, look who it is." Sojiro said as he carried two trays of food to the table.

Sojiro placed Ren's food on the table and took a seat in front of him. Morgana jumped out of Ren's bag and on to the chair next to Sojiro. Sumire, on the other hand, was just staring at their food as if she wanted to eat it.

"Uhh...I swear this is just a huge coincidence..." Ren said awkwardly.

"Sure it is Ren." Morgana said in a teasing manner.

"It actually is. I was already here when you three arrived." Sumire said as she took a seat next to Ren.

At least Sumire was backing Ren up instead of continuing to tease him. That’s one of the first things that he loved about her. Sumire can be a little playful, but she knows when to stop compared to everyone else.

“Aww Sumire is pwotecting wittle Wen so he’s not upset.” Morgana said playfully.

Ren turned around and glared at him. It seems Morgana still hasn’t nor will he ever learn his lesson. Finally fed up with all the teasing, Ren took action by taking the sushi Morgana ordered and gave it to Sumire. 

“Here, Sumi. Lunch is on me.” He said while giving Morgana an evil smile.

“NO NO NO! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please give it back!” Morgana pleaded.

“Ok, Morgana, here...but I’m taking out a fee for that comment.” Sumire said as she took six pieces of his yellowtail before handing the tray back with a sinister smile.

Ren covered his mouth trying to muffle his laughter, while Sojiro sipped his coffee like it was none of his business, but was smirking at the events that were unfolding. 

"Now I can see why you love her so much Ren." Sojiro said reassuringly.

The couple looked at him with a surprised expression on their faces.

"What?" They said in unison.

"She's perfect for you. She's sweet, caring and playful, but she's also assertive. She has no problem taking action when she has. Granted, taking sushi away from a cat isn't really a prime example of this, but you get my point." Sojiro said.

Surprisingly enough, neither Ren or Sumire blushed at this. Instead, they both smiled with content. Having someone basically tell them they compliment each other was reassuring to them. 

"In fact, she kind of reminds me of Wakaba." Sojiro said.

"Wakaba?" Sumire said in confusion.

"Wakaba is Futaba's mother who passed away a while ago." Ren answered.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." Sumire said with a sympathetic look.

"Don't be. I've gotten over her death, so talking about her doesn't bother me anymore. If anything, I enjoy bringing her up. It's what will always keep her alive in my book." Sojiro said with a confidant smile.

It was rare to see Sojiro so mellowed out like this, especially when it came to Wakaba. Ren couldn't help but remember the hurt and regret he saw on Sojiro's face in the past. He felt responsible for not doing anything about Shido and not listening to his instincts. But with Ren's help, whether Sojiro wanted it or not, he was able to accept Wakaba's death and move on. And this is what ultimately sealed the father-and-son bond that Sojiro has with Ren.

"I wish I realized that awhile back..." Sumire said with a somber tone.

"What do you mean?" Sojiro asked.

"My sister died saving me from incoming traffic and a lot of crazy things happened afterwards. But thankfully, I met Ren and the others and they helped me through it, especially Ren." Sumire said as she gave Ren a heartfelt smile.

"Glad I could help." Ren said before he took a bite of his food.

"Oh, right. You're the twin sister of the girl who died. Kasumi Yoshizawa, right?"

"That's right." Sumire said with a nod.

"Wait, didn't you go by that name?" Sojiro asked.

"Yes, but like I said, really weird things happened. I'm back to being my own person and that's what matters." Sumire said with confidence.

"Well, I won't force you to remember something painful, but I'm glad you were able to get your life back on track." Sojiro said.

"It's okay. Don't get me wrong, I miss Kasumi a lot, but she wouldn't want me to spend the rest of my life blaming myself for what happened. And Ren helped me see that." 

"From the sound of it, it seems Ren has been a great help to you. You sure he hasn't caused any trouble?" Sojiro asked with a smile.

"The only trouble he caused is letting me find him unconscious after fighting our school therapist." Sumire said as she narrowed her eyes at Ren, who shrugged with a sly smile.

"Hey, he didn't give me much of a choice. I gave you a chance to escape, didn't I?" Ren said.

"No, you gave me a chance to live with a broken heart. What if he ended up overpowering you or something? Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Sumire scolded.

"I said I was sorry..." Ren said as he meekly took a bite out of his onigiri.

"See? What did I tell you Ren? You never make a girl worried because you'll never hear the end of it." Sojiro said with a serious tone.

"Yeah yeah...wait a minute, where's the sushi you took?" Ren asked as he looked Sumire's empty plate.

Sumire looked at her now empty plate. She didn't eat anything yet, so where did the yellowtail go? At that moment, Ren, Sumire and Sojiro heard shuffling coming from Ren's bag. A black and white tail was sticking out. They knew exactly what happened to the sushi. With a grunt, Ren grabbed the tail and hoisted Morgana in the air.

"Uhhh...it's not what it looks like...?" Morgana said awkwardly as the three glared at him and his rice-filled whiskers.

"Morgana..." Ren growled.

"What? It was my sushi that you...gave...to...Sumire..." Morgana started trailing off as he glanced to the side causing Ren to give him a confused look. Morgana then pointed at Sumire with his paw. When Ren turned around, even he looked afraid. In fact, he recognized the face that Sumire was making. It was the same glare she gave Ren two nights ago when she caught him staring at her.

"Uhh...are you okay Sumi?" 

"He took my food..." Sumire growled while holding eye contact with Morgana.

Ren and Morgana blinked in response while Sojiro took this as an opportunity to have a smoke.

"Thank god this isn't my cafe..." Sojiro said as he got up and walked toward the door.

"Ren."

"Y-yeah?" 

"You said Morgana went through a window earlier today? Sumire asked sweetly.

"Yeah...? Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm about to throw him through one." Sumire said as she got up from her seat.

"Uhh, as much as I would like to see to see him go through a window again...I don't think that's going to make the situation better." Ren said as lowered Morgana back into his bag head-first.

Sumire just gave a sweet smile and squeezed past Ren's seat. Ren moved the bag with his foot as a way to deter Sumire from doing anything drastic. Surprisingly enough, she didn't even try to get his bag. Instead, Sumire went to front of the store and looked at the menu. While she was placing an order, Ren took the opportunity to pull Morgana out of the bag again.

"Why did you take her sushi!?" Ren quietly growled through gritted-teeth.

"Her sushi?! It was mine that you gave to her!" Morgana countered.

"Because we're sick of you constantly making fun of us!"

"Well, I wouldn't have to if I wasn't given the opportunity!"

"What opportunity!? Why can't you just keep your mouth shut?!"

"Why can't you stop making cat jokes!?"

Ren and Morgana continued going back and forth. They looked like two squawking birds as they argued. Sumire interrupted their argument by clearing her throat.

"Ahem. Excuse me, Ren." She said sweetly.

"Oh, sorry Sumi." Ren said as he scooted his chair in to give her room.

"So, what are you two talking about?" 

Sumire sounded awfully happy despite giving Morgana a death glare. 

"Nothing, I was scolding him for taking your food and he started to argue with me." 

"It wasn't "her" food! It was mine! Morgana said as he went back to his seat.

When Morgana turned to glare at Ren again, he saw that his attention was aimed at where Sumire was. Morgana turned to see what Ren was gawking at and got the same exact look. Sumire had ordered enough sushi to feed a family of ten. 

"Is that all for you!?" Morgana asked in shock.

"Yes, it is."

"I know you need to eat a lot Sumire, but are you sure you can eat all of that by yourself?" Ren asked.

"Perhaps." She said playfully.

"You're gonna be sick..." Ren said.

"Oh, you're right. Eating all this sushi isn't very healthy, even for me. Here, sweetie, you can have some." She said as she started to divvy up the sushi.

When Sumire said "some", Ren thought she meant like six or so pieces. Instead, she ended up giving him half of the whole platter.

"Aww, I don't get any?" Morgana asked with a whine.

"Sorry, I don't share with people who take my food." Sumire said as she popped a piece of sushi into her mouth.

"It wasn't yours! Ren, you'll share with me right?"

"Sorry, I don't share with people who treat my girlfriend poorly." Ren said as he dipped his sushi in soy sauce.

Morgana felt so betrayed right now. If only he kept his mouth shut.

“Fine...be that way...”He said with a hurt tone as he went into Ren’s bag.

Ren and Sumire watched as he slithered his way back the bag defeated. They looked at each other for a minute and playfully rolled their eyes. 

“Alright Morgana, come back up here and eat. We were only playing with you.”

Morgana popped his head out of the bag but only his ears and eyes could be seen. 

“You’ll share?” He said weakly.

Ren and Sumire chuckled at his drama.

“Yes, you drama king.”

Before Ren knew it, Morgana playfully pounced on Ren playfully and nuzzled him before doing the same thing to Sumire.

“But seriously, no more teasing okay?” Ren asked.

“I promise. Now give me that sushi!” He said.

Morgana then proceeded to chow down on the abundance of sushi Sumire ordered. Sojiro finally came back into the bakery after smoking.

“I’m back...where did all this sushi come from?” He asked.

“I ordered it after Morgana was mean to me.” Sumire responded.

“Hope you got enough to pay for it...” Sojiro said as he rubbed the back of his head.

“What are you talking about? You said you were paying for it.” Ren said with his mouth half full.

“Like hell I am!”

“But you said it was your treat.” Morgana added.

“Yeah, I said a treat, not a buffet.” Sojiro said.

“Then why did you say it was your treat?” Ren asked.

“Because I was trying to be nice, which clearly backfired.” Sojiro countered.

“Well, you’re not being nice by going back on what you said.” Ren said sarcastically.

“Yeah, not cool Sojiro.” Morgana said as he ate another piece of sushi.

Sumire couldn’t stop herself laughing as Ren and Morgana pestered Sojiro, who just groaned in aggravation.

“What troublesome kids I’ve taken in...”

——————————  
2/4 - Tuesday - Evening

After the sushi fiasco at the cafe, Sojiro ended up paying over 30,000 Yen because of all the sushi Sumire had ordered. He thought Ren and Morgana ordered it and they actually took the blame to protect her. The four walked around Kichijoji looking at various shops and making small talk. When Sumire and Morgana went off to see the display at a nearby clothes store, Ren had asked Sojiro if he could let Morgana stay with Futaba for the night.

“As long as you two don’t do what I think you want to do, I will. You’re in my cafè, not some cheap motel. Sojiro said sternly.

“Don’t worry, we won’t be doing that tonight. I promise.” Ren said as he rubbed the back of his head. 

Sojiro narrowed his eyes at him for a second as a way to say “You better not be lying to me.” 

“Alright. It’s getting late anyway.”

Sumire and Morgana returned giggling after making fun of the god awful design of the clothes. They made their way to the metro and eventually arrived at LeBlanc. From there, Sojiro took Morgana home with him as Ren and Sumire entered LeBlanc.

“What a day...want some coffee Sumi?” Ren asked.

“Yes, please.” She said as she took off her red coat and hung it on the hook.

As she sat down, Sumire’s attention turned to the wooden planks that were situated in front of the window.

“What did you two do to the window?” Sumire asked with a confused smile.

“Morgana launched himself through it to get me.” Ren said as he threw his jacket on the seat of the booth.

Sumire started laughing as she imagined Morgana throwing himself out the window.

“I really shouldn’t be laughing at this, he could have been seriously hurt.” She said.

“Yeah, but he wasn’t so it’s okay.” Ren said with a grin.

Sumire watched as Ren started grinding up the decaf roast before getting his attention.

“Hey Ren?”

“Yeah?” 

“You mind if we talk about a few things?” She asked.

Ren raised an eyebrow at this. Sumire sounded really serious, which made him curious.

“Sure, what’s up?” 

“Well, the first thing I want to talk about is what you said in the bakery. About how you were speaking to Raoul.”

“Yeah, it was really sudd-“ Ren stopped abruptly as he heard Raoul’s voice.

“Good evening, young trickster.” He said.

“Oh! Hey Raoul.” Ren greeted.

Sumire looked a little concerned.

“Ren? What’s wrong?”

Before she could say anything else, Sumire also heard a voice in her head.

“Good evening, Sumire. I hope I’m not disturbing you two.” The voice said.

The voice Sumire heard was very feminine and well-mannered. It sounded like something out of the Victorian Era.

“Ella!” Sumire said in surprise.

Now it was Ren’s turn to be concerned.

“Sumi? You okay?” 

“I’m fine. Ella just said hi.”

“Wait, Ella is talking now? Raoul just spoke to me too.”

Sumire had an intrigued look on her face. 

“Well, let’s see what they want.” Sumire said with a smile.

Ren responded with a nod before turning his attention to the coffee he was preparing.

“It gladdens time to see you took initiative in being alone with your lady my boy.” Raoul said with gratitude.

“Well, I was planning on it anyway. But I’d be lying if I said wasn’t curious about what you wanted to tell me.” Ren said.

“My sincerest gratitude for you keeping that in mind. What I have to say is of the utmost importance. But before I say, join hands with your lady.” Raoul said.

Ren became very confused at this. Why does his Persona want him to hold hands with Sumire?

On the other hand, Sumire was having a similar conversation with Ella.

“Hi Ella!”

“Hello, my sweet Sumire.”

“I really want to talk about everything with you right now, but you said you had something important to talk to me about?” 

“Indeed I do. Thank you for remembering, but before I can go further, please take your beloved’s hand.”

Now Sumire is confused at her Persona’s request. But she didn’t mind since she gets to hold hands with Ren.

Both Ren and Sumire intertwined their fingers over the bar and smiled at each other. What happened next shocked the both of them.

“Hello, my sweet Ella.” Raoul said with a flirtatious tone.

“My dearest Raoul, it’s been more than a fortnight since we last met.” Ella replied with the same tone.

Ren and Sumire looked at each other with the most surprised expressions. Their Personas were flirting with each other. 

“What in the world...?” Ren asked.

Sumire simply shrugged as she was just as clueless as he was.

“Hello Ren.” Ella greeted with a friendly tone.

“Uh...umm hi Ella.” He said awkwardly.

“Good evening Sumire.” Raoul greeted with his gentlemanly voice.

“Hi Raoul! How are you?” Sumire asked with glee.

“I’m quite well, thank you. And yourself?” 

“I’m confused and happy at the same time!” Sumire said with a laugh.

“Same here! Oh...uh sorry Ella...how are you?Ren added.

“I am fine. Thank you for asking.” She replied with a giggle.

“This is amazing! I can’t believe we’re talking to our Personas!” Sumire said with excitement.

Ren was confused but he couldn’t help but smile at what was happening either.

“You are amazed, you say? Well, my fair maiden, close your eyes for an even bigger surprise.” Raoul said.

“You as well Ren.” Ella added. 

“Ok!” Ren and Sumire said in unison.

Ren and Sumire did as their Persona’s said. When they opened their eyes, both of them could not believe what they were looking at. The couple was in what resembled like a palace. They were standing in what looked like the Velvet Room mixed with a gentleman’s club. Smooth Jazz music was playing throughout the place.

“Is thou truly surprised?” Raoul said from across the room.

Ren and Sumire turned to see Raoul leaning on a bar that looked like LeBlanc’s. Raoul is wearing his trademark red fedora and jacket with a black tie tucked into his vest, has a cigarette in between his demon fangs and his black and gold wings span the entire bar.

“Whoa...” Ren said in amazement.

“Now I can truly greet you. Welcome my boy!” Raoul said as he tipped his hat.

Sumire couldn’t contain her excitement as she frantically looked around the club with the biggest smile on her face.

“Seeing you smile like this always warms my heart, dear Sumire.” Ella said.

Looking in the direction of where her voice was coming from, Ren and Sumire saw Ella sitting on top of a phantasmal piano with her legs crossed. She was in her usual sparkling white dress with her long floral crown elegantly flowing behind her. Sumire noticed that she wasn’t holding her bouquet this time.

“You look amazing Ella!” Sumire said as she ran over to her.

“Thank you. You look just as beautiful yourself, my dear.” Ella said.

“Thanks, but this outfit isn’t much to look at.” Sumire said with a blush and a hint of shyness.

“Are you referring to your everyday clothes? I’m afraid that’s not what I’m looking at.”

Sumire cocked her head in confusion. What was she talking about? She then looked down and was flabbergasted. Sumire wasn’t in the outfit she had on in the cafè. Instead, she was wearing a backless black dress that had a dash of white across her midsection. There was a part of the dress that draped over right leg while her left one was exposed and was also wearing flats that somewhat resembled her dancing slippers. Her hair was also in the same bun she used when performed in front of her coach and was wearing a sapphire necklace.

“Wha-? Where did this dress come from?” Sumire asked.

“It appeared when you entered our home.” Ella said.

“This is your home?”

Ella responded with a nod.

“Wow...I’m speechless right now! Is there a mirror anywhere? I want to see this dress in full!” Sumire said as she bursted with optimism and excitement.

Ella looked toward the wall and snapped her fingers, causing a full-sized mirror to appear. Sumire dashes over time see her new favorite dress. While Sumire was checking herself out, Ren and Raoul we’re having a conversation of their own.

“This place is incredible...” Ren said as he walked around examining the club.

“Fitting for a gentleman, is it not?” Raoul said as he puffed out a bit of blue smoke.

“It really is. Saying that I’m impressed would be a huge understatement.” Ren said as he took a seat next to Raoul.

“Glad it is to your liking my boy.”

Raoul dematerialized his wings before he sat down next to Ren. He then reached into his coat and pulled out a flask. 

“I didn’t know Persona’s could drink.” Ren said with a smug tone.

“There are plenty of things we can do. What you’ve seen, and still are seeing, is but a small fraction of our capabilities.” Raoul said as he took a sip from his flask.

“Fancy a drink?” Raoul asked as he offered his flask to Ren.

“I’d like to, but I’m underage.” Ren said.

Raoul laughed at his statement.

“Oh, how much you have yet to learn. Anything is possible here my boy. You will feel no effects of intoxication.” Raoul said reassuringly.

“Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I knew it would harm you.” 

“Fair point. Well, if you insist.” Ren said as he took the flask.

Ren inspected the flask before drinking it. Like the piano, the flask radiated the same phantasmal aura. As Ren sniffed the flask, he could make out the scent of what smelled like alcohol. He finally then took a sip. The taste of the bourbon was both bitter and sweet and caused Ren’s throat to burn, making him cough a little bit. Raoul simply laughed at him.

“Wow, that burns.” Ren said as he handed the flask back to Raoul.

“That’s why you always drink it in little swigs. A true gentleman never indulges on heavy drinking.” Raoul said as he took another drink before putting the flask back in his coat.

“I’ll keep that in mind. The taste wasn’t too bad...might have to get a flask myself.” 

“Only if you swear you’ll use it responsibly.” Raoul said with a stern, but kind tone.

“I will, promise.” Ren said as he leaned back on the bar with a smile.

Raoul responded with hum and a nod. 

“So, what’s up with you and Ella? Seems you two are getting rather cozy.” Ren teased.

“You could say that. Ella is a lady of refinement and elegance. I intend to protect and cherish her for all eternity.” 

Ren was surprised at Raoul’s bluntness. He sounded like he really cares about Ella.

“Wow...flat out saying you love her with no hesitation...you don’t see that everyday.”

“Indeed. Many often hesitate admitting their inner feelings. We, on the other hand, do not. Even you were a bit hesitant in the beginning, you have no issue admitting to your lady how much you cherish her, and for that, I am proud of you.” Raoul said with pride.

“Thanks Raoul.” Ren said with a smile.

“My pleasure. By the way, your choice of clothing fits you.”

“Huh?”

“Have you not seen yourself boy?” 

“Uhh...no...?”

Like Ella, Raoul snapped his fingers and a mirror materialized in front of Ren. Ren was wearing an outfit similar to Raoul’s but was unique to him. He was wearing a red fedora, but the jacket was black with the Phantom Thieves symbol on the back of it. His vest was dark blue and had a white tie tucked into it. His undershirt was black, which made his tie stand out. Ren’s pants consisted of gray slacks and he was wearing boots that were like Raoul’s except they didn’t have huge heels on them.

“Whoa, this is a really nice outfit, but what about the clothes I was wearing before?” 

“Your physical bodies are still wearing the clothes you had on. Here, however, your clothing reflects you and I.” Raoul informed.

“Oh, so it’s like when our clothes changed in the Metaverse...” Ren said in realization.

“Precisely.”

“Now if only we could change our clothes like this in the real world.” Ren said jokingly.

Both Ren and Raoul started laughing, which prompted Sumire and Ella to come over.

“You two are having a good time.” Sumire said with a smile.

“I’m honestly having a blast. What about you?” 

“I’ve never enjoyed myself more. It’s almost like a fairy tale.”

“Lucky for you, my dear, it’s all real.“ Raoul said.

“And you can come whenever you like.” Ella added.

“Even when we’re not together?” Ren asked.

“Indeed. Except we won’t be here, but rather, a more personalized place. This is a conjoined space.” Raoul said.

“Raoul? Are you ready?” Ella asked.

“Certainly.”

Ren and Sumire looked at their Personas and then at each other in confusion.

“Ready for what?” Sumire asked.

“To talk to you about something important.” Ella said.

“Oh yeah. You said you had something important to talk about.” Ren said.

“Yes, ‘tis a matter that concerns all four of us. Ella, would you like to begin?” 

“Thank you, my dear. Now, Ren and Sumire...there is something you should be aware of regarding intimacy.”

Ren and Sumire went wide eyed. They completely forgot that their Persona’s can see and hear everything including their thoughts. Upon realizing this, the couple developed an immense blush on their faces.

“Uhh...” They both said.

“Easy, my boy. Remember, a true gentleman doesn’t hesitate.” Raoul said reassuringly as he lit a cigarette.

“R-right. Go on Ella.” Ren said.

“We witnessed the intimacy you two shared a little bit ago. We also wanted to commend you for being cautious and using protection.”

Ren and Sumire felt so awkward hearing this.

“However, there’s something else about that night we wanted to discuss.” Raoul said.

“And that is?” Ren asked.

“While we were being intimate, I felt a disturbance.” 

“What disturbance? And did you just admit you and Ella did it when we did!?” Sumire asked in surprise.

“Indeed we did, and he was just as gentle with me as Ren was with you.” Ella said.

Ren and Sumire were blushing messes but it wasn’t so bad as these are their Personas. It was still awkward though.

“As for the disturbance, we have some unfinished business my boy.” Raoul said as he puffed out red smoke this time.

“Unfinished business? With who?” Ren asked.

“I’m afraid the one you call Akechi and his Persona, Hereward, wishes to settle things with you. You and my dear Raoul must fight him once more.” Ella said as she took a seat next to Raoul and leaned against him.

Sumire started to panic. She didn’t like the sound of that because she heard what happened before when Ren and Akechi fought. Akechi tried to kill Ren and the others before.

“Ren, no. I don’t like this at all. What if Akechi goes crazy again and tries to kill you?” Sumire said as she hugged him.

“Thou has nothing to fear, my dear. It’s not a battle to the death, but it will be one of great intensity and I’m looking forward to it.” Raoul reassured her.

Sumire shook her head, but Ren started rubbing her back to soothe her.

“Don’t worry sweetheart, it’ll be okay. Besides, I promised Akechi that we would settle things.” Ren said calmly.

“Ren...” Sumire said as she looked into his eyes.

“I’ll be careful. After all, I’ve got the best Persona fighting alongside me and the most beautiful girl watching.” He said as he kissed Sumire’s forehead.

“See, my sweet Ella? Even he recognizes my greatness.” Raoul said jokingly causing Ella to elbow him playfully.

“He really is your Persona Ren.” Sumire said playfully.

The four started laughing at her remark.

“Alright, you two. It’s time to part ways for now.” Ella said as she got up from her seat. 

“Indeed. I’ll inform you of what to do regarding Akechi tomorrow. For now, enjoy yourselves this evening. I know we will.” Raoul said seductively as he looked at Ella.

The last thing Ren and Sumire heard before things started fade out were Raoul and Ella laughing. Ren and Sumire opened their eyes to see they were back in the real world.

“Well, that was certainly unexpected.” Ren said.

“Yeah. It was amazing spending time with our Personas.” 

Ren looked down to realize that he still had coffee brewing. Unfortunately, it ended up burning due to the time he spent Sumire and the Personas. 

“Ooooh....Sojiro would kill me if he was here to see this.” Ren said as he feared Sojiro’s wrath.

Sumire giggled at the comment.

“It’s okay. I’m tired anyway.” She said as she stretched and let out a yawn.

“So am I.” He said as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Sumire got up from the stool and walked towards the attic, which puzzled Ren.

“Are you coming?” She asked.

“Uhh, what? You’re staying?! I mean I don’t mind, but what about your father?”

“I’ll tell him I’m staying with a friend and I’ll be back in the morning for breakfast.”

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Yeah. After all...I want enjoy my evening with you.” Sumire said seductively before walking upstairs to the attic.

Ren felt his whole face burn when she said that.

“Sorry Sojiro...” Ren said before he went upstairs to the attic.

Ren was unfortunately going to have to break his promise to Sojiro. The affection he had for Sumire, her seductive tone and the mental influence from Raoul made whatever guilt Ren felt disappear as the couple engaged in their night of passion.

On the other side of the city, Akechi was sitting in the apartment he had bought himself after the Takuto incident. As he read his law book, the voice of his Persona echoed through his mind.

“The time is coming. Is thou ready to fight?” Hereward asked.

Akechi closed his book and looked out the window to see the moon. 

“Yes, it’s time Ren and I see who is truly the strongest.” Akechi said before flashing a confident smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Not gonna lie to you guys; it’s getting more and more difficult to end these stories haha. Also, I want you to know that I’m going to be taking a very brief break to gather my thoughts for the next part. 
> 
> Don’t hesitate to leave your feedback, thoughts and suggestions in the comments. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and being patient. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it and I’ll see you in the next story!


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